Aquatic Plants and Fish
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Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Aquatic Plants and Fish Rules for Aquatic Plant Removal and Control July 2015 2nd Edition The 2nd edition of the July 2015 Aquatic Plants and Fish pamphlet corrects errors in the Recommended Work Times table of the original edition. The 2nd edition replaces the original version and must be used when conducting aquatic plant control or removal projects under authority of the pamphlet. Cover graphic of Eurasian Water Milfoil Myriophyllum spicatum provided by University of Florida/IFAS Center for Aquatic and Invasive Plants. Used with permission. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Jim Unsworth, Director 600 Capitol Way North Olympia, Washington 98501 (360) 902-2534 www.wdfw.wa.gov Persons with a disability may request a copy of this publication in an alternative format by calling (360) 902-2349 or TDD (360) 902-2207. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife receives financial assistance from the federal government and adheres to the following federal laws: Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964; Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973; Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990; the Age Discrimination Act of 1975; and Title IX of the Education Amendments of 1972. The federal government and WDFW prohibit discrimination on the basis of race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, mental or physical disability, sexual orientation, parental status, reprisal, and genetic information. If you believe you have been discriminated against in any program, activity , service, or facility, please contact the WDFW ADA Program Manager, PO Box 43139, Olympia, WA 98504, or write to: Chief, Public Civil Rights Division, U.S. Department of Interior, 1849 C Street NW, Washington DC 20240. Table of Contents About This Pamphlet ..................................................................................................................................... 1 Limit of WDFW Authority .............................................................................................................................. 2 Other Permits May Be Necessary ................................................................................................................. 2 Aquatic Vegetation and Fish ......................................................................................................................... 2 Definitions ..................................................................................................................................................... 3 Methods and Requirements for Aquatic Plant Control and Removal .......................................................... 4 Removal of Aquatic Plants by Hand ....................................................................................................... 4 Bottom Barriers and Screens ................................................................................................................. 5 Weed Rolling ............................................................................................................................................ 6 Mechanical Harvesting and Cutting ....................................................................................................... 7 Rotovation ................................................................................................................................................ 8 Aquatic plant dredging ............................................................................................................................ 8 Water level manipulation ....................................................................................................................... 9 Recommended Work Times ........................................................................................................................ 10 About This Pamphlet Effective July 1, 2015 the 2015 Aquatic Plants and Fish pamphlet replaces the previous version of the pamphlet published in 1998 (APF-1-98). It serves as the Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA) for some types of aquatic weed or plant control and removal including physical and mechanical methods. It does not address using grass carp, herbicides, or water column dye. You may find information regarding those methods at Washington Department of Ecology’s website on aquatic plant management at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/management/index.html. Depending on the method you select to control aquatic noxious weeds or beneficial plants, an individual HPA may be required. If you use this pamphlet as your HPA for aquatic weed or plant control, please review it thoroughly and follow all applicable provisions. You may download, save and print a copy of the Aquatic Plants and Fish pamphlet from the WDFW website at http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/aquatic_plant_removal/index.html or request one from a WDFW office. The administrative rules adopted by the Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) addressed in this pamphlet are included in WAC 220-660-290. This pamphlet does not contain information about how to identify aquatic noxious weeds or beneficial plants, or make recommendations on which control method would be best in a specific situation. There are many online and other resources available that you may wish to consult when deciding whether or how to control aquatic plants. One such resource is Washington Department of Ecology’s Water Quality 2015 Aquatic Plants and Fish Pamphlet Page 1 website, specifically its pages titled Aquatic Plants, Algae, and Lakes at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/links/plants.html. Limit of WDFW Authority • An activity conducted solely to remove or control spartina does not require an HPA. • An activity conducted solely to remove or control purple loosestrife and that is performed with hand-held tools or equipment, or equipment carried by you when used, does not require an HPA. • Any other activity conducted solely to remove or control aquatic noxious weeds or aquatic beneficial plants requires either a copy of the current Aquatic Plants and Fish pamphlet available from the department or an individual HPA. • Information on applying for individual HPAs and how to contact a WDFW biologist is available at the following WDFW website: http://wdfw.wa.gov/licensing/hpa/. Other Permits May Be Necessary The Aquatic Plants and Fish pamphlet pertains only to WDFW’s administration of hydraulic projects regulated under the Revised Code of Washington (Chapter 77.55 RCW). It is your responsibility to apply for and obtain any additional permits or authorization from other government agencies (local, state and/or federal) and land owners that may be necessary for this project. The Governor’s Office for Regulatory Innovation and Assistance (ORIA) at http://www.oria.wa.gov/site/alias__oria/347/default.aspx can assist you in determining your permit needs. Aquatic Vegetation and Fish Beneficial plants play a significant role in lakes and streams by providing food and habitat for fish life, stabilizing shorelines, and contributing to nutrient cycling. Sometimes beneficial plants can grow in overabundance, usually because of excessive inputs of nutrients such as nitrogen or phosphorus. In contrast, aquatic noxious weeds can threaten native vegetation, fish life, and the habitat that supports fish life. Often the best approach to controlling and removing aquatic plants is developing a vegetation management plan. A vegetation management plan is a comprehensive approach to controlling aquatic plants where all strategies are considered and usually some combination of techniques is selected and implemented. These plans should be based on the biology and ecology of the aquatic plant to be controlled and the environmental characteristics of the site. Integrated vegetation management planning is encouraged to comprehensively address aquatic plant problems for a watercourse. 2015 Aquatic Plants and Fish Pamphlet Page 2 Definitions The following definitions apply to aquatic plant control and removal activities that you conduct under authority of the Aquatic Plants and Fish pamphlet. Terms in bold font throughout this pamphlet are defined here. Aquatic beneficial plant: all native and nonnative aquatic plants except those on the state noxious weed lists in WAC 16-750-005, 16-750-011, and 16-750-015. Aquatic noxious weed: an aquatic plant on the state noxious weed lists in WAC 16-750-005, 16-750- 011, and 16-750-015. Aquatic plant: a native or nonnative emergent, submersed, partially submersed, free-floating, or floating-leaved plant species that is dependent upon fresh, brackish, or marine water ecosystems and includes all stages of development and parts. Bottom barrier or screen: sheets of synthetic or natural fiber material used to cover and kill plants growing on the bottom of a watercourse. Diver-operated dredging: the use of portable suction or hydraulic dredges held by SCUBA divers to remove aquatic plants. Early infestation: a stage of development, life history, or area of coverage of an aquatic noxious weed that makes one hundred percent control and eradication likely to occur. Entrained: the entrapment of fish into a watercourse diversion that has no screen, into high velocity water along the face of an improperly designed screen, or into the vegetation cut by a mechanical harvester. Eradication: to eliminate an aquatic noxious weed within an area of infestation. Hydraulic project approval (HPA): A written approval for a hydraulic project signed by the director of WDFW or the director's designee; or